This script/game just alienates me in every way. I don't identify at all with the MC or the characters. For me, it lacks direction and editing. I'm never "with" the characters in the moment, organically experiencing things with the characters and story. It's generally only ever because you're simply told so as the reader - just because it's needed in the story for some reason: feel awkward; you're inherently indecisive except people still defer to you (you're the MC) despite repeatedly proving unreliable; be an idiot; put your foot in your mouth; you're confident for this rare moment, but most of the time you're not; submissive in almost every way (sexual and non-sexual) but rare instances of dominance with no justifiable reasoning. And the amount of inner and external monologue is ridiculous. Did anyone in development do a script reading to see how it would play out in real life? It doesn't. Minutes of "dead air" mid-conversation where the MC is just staring into the abyss or mumbling to themselves (even worse). And it's NOT like Japanese RPG games/Anime where time magically pauses for extended dialogue sequences during a time-limited event because this game always self-criticizes itself. The MC questions and chastises himself for being an idiot, for being awkward, for putting his head up his ass levels of stupid, for being not funny. Characters regularly shock him back to reality and chastising him for "going somewhere" in the middle of a conversation. The fact that they are self-aware of almost all the things I have issues with means this is all intentional? And that is where my confusion manifests. Is this supposed to be dry humor? I wouldn't cast Mr. Bean as the MC of an AVN, but like I said before, this is probably all on me. I've seen other reviews lauding the massive amounts of inner and external monologue. Which may just be that this is written and made by people born in this century and naturally connects and makes sense to similar people. And if you take the town sandbox content from the RPG Maker games, the last sentence seems even more probable because that was all "Meme" side-stories/quests.
I'm reminded of "Moments of Bliss" where the MC takes a year off to become a standup comedian, and it doesn't work, but that doesn't stop them from writing him as ALWAYS making jokes about everything. And they are not funny MOST of the time, so it's mostly just awkward/cringe. That is this game, for me, most of the time because I do not understand a life lived like this MC. Remove all the expected AVN only stuff and just look at the day-to-day life. I cannot fathom that amount of idiocy, awkwardness, ignorance, dishonesty to his and his friends' detriment, and just general chaos and nonsense. He's 22, not 12, and supposed to be the MC of this story. But he's more like Jim Carey's character Lloyd Christmas from "Dumb and Dumber". Only this isn't tagged as a Comedy. The expectation I have is that the MC either deserves/earns the attention that will come to him by being a developed character with justifications supporting the forthcoming rewards, or they fall back on the "main character magic" of everything just working in their favor.
I don't rate this as poor because I do enjoy many aspects of this game and parts of the characters. It does test my patience, though. It took me like a half dozen attempts and cancels to put this review up. I apologize for this, I just cannot seem to coherently express my thoughts regarding this game.
I'm on Day 17 now, it just keeps doubling-down on the stupidity. Except for a masochist or a complete idiot, this MC had Vivianne take shots at his face while he was wearing boxing headgear because "it doesn't hurt" and THEN had her punt him in the nuts. He didn't know that would hurt. Which provides another example of why I think multiple people wrote this. Unless this was yet another misguided attempt at humor - no man would ever, ever asked to be kicked in the nuts unless they are masochist or insane. The game itself is designed to torture the player - you're damned if you do and damned if you don't with all LI choices. Stay loyal to Sadie and be bored out of your mind. Cheat and the MC himself will nag you like you're married to him, along with the guilt trips from the ladies because they rarely pass up a chance to rub your face in something. SO much FUN!
I'm reminded of "Moments of Bliss" where the MC takes a year off to become a standup comedian, and it doesn't work, but that doesn't stop them from writing him as ALWAYS making jokes about everything. And they are not funny MOST of the time, so it's mostly just awkward/cringe. That is this game, for me, most of the time because I do not understand a life lived like this MC. Remove all the expected AVN only stuff and just look at the day-to-day life. I cannot fathom that amount of idiocy, awkwardness, ignorance, dishonesty to his and his friends' detriment, and just general chaos and nonsense. He's 22, not 12, and supposed to be the MC of this story. But he's more like Jim Carey's character Lloyd Christmas from "Dumb and Dumber". Only this isn't tagged as a Comedy. The expectation I have is that the MC either deserves/earns the attention that will come to him by being a developed character with justifications supporting the forthcoming rewards, or they fall back on the "main character magic" of everything just working in their favor.
I don't rate this as poor because I do enjoy many aspects of this game and parts of the characters. It does test my patience, though. It took me like a half dozen attempts and cancels to put this review up. I apologize for this, I just cannot seem to coherently express my thoughts regarding this game.
I'm on Day 17 now, it just keeps doubling-down on the stupidity. Except for a masochist or a complete idiot, this MC had Vivianne take shots at his face while he was wearing boxing headgear because "it doesn't hurt" and THEN had her punt him in the nuts. He didn't know that would hurt. Which provides another example of why I think multiple people wrote this. Unless this was yet another misguided attempt at humor - no man would ever, ever asked to be kicked in the nuts unless they are masochist or insane. The game itself is designed to torture the player - you're damned if you do and damned if you don't with all LI choices. Stay loyal to Sadie and be bored out of your mind. Cheat and the MC himself will nag you like you're married to him, along with the guilt trips from the ladies because they rarely pass up a chance to rub your face in something. SO much FUN!